This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

Roger Clemens pleads not guilty on charges of lying to Congress

Former Blue Jay pitcher Roger Clemens appeared in federal court only a few blocks away from where he swore under oath to a House committee in 2008 that he had not used performance-enhancing drugs.

Roger Clemens walks out of the U.S. District Court after pleading not guilty to charges he lied to Congress over performance-enhancing drugs, Aug. 30, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

By Jesse J. HollandAssociated Press

Mon., Aug. 30, 2010

WASHINGTON—Seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of lying to Congress about whether he used steroids or human growth hormone.

When asked for a plea by U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, the retired Major League Baseball pitcher said in a clear voice: “Not guilty, your honour.”

Clemens, wearing a suit and tie, was appearing in federal court only a few blocks away from where he swore under oath to a House committee in 2008 that he had not used performance-enhancing drugs.

Clemens, who pitched for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros, entered his plea in U.S. District Court.

Federal prosecutors didn’t believe Clemens’ testimony to Congress, and they subsequently charged him with making false statements, perjury and obstruction of Congress.

Article Continued Below

The 48-year-old Clemens had vowed to fight the charges.

At Clemens’ arraignment Monday, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton set an April 5 date for choosing a jury.

If convicted, Clemens could face up to 30 years in prison and a US$1.5 million fine. However, a conviction could cause catastrophic damage to his reputation, future earning potential and his chances of getting into baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Clemens was being arraigned on three counts of making false statements, two counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of Congress.

He entered the courthouse well before his hearing, which was scheduled for a ceremonial courtroom that seats about 300 people.

After spending the morning in the back rooms of the courthouse, where defendants often go to get their fingerprints and mug shots taken, Clemens and his attorney, Rusty Hardin, went to the main cafeteria, where the pitcher sat at a corner table and had a salad and a bottle of water for lunch.

Clemens was friendly, but declined comment when approached by an Associated Press reporter. Hardin said plans hadn’t changed for the hearing, but he wanted to honour the gag order imposed by U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, who last week ordered interested participants to refrain from making public comments that could have a material effect on the case.

Clemens’ early arrival may have been because he wanted to make a quick exit after his hearing is over. The New York Daily News reports that Clemens and his wife, Debbie, planned to fly to Myrtle Beach, S.C., later Monday to play in the Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship.

If convicted on all charges, Clemens could face up to 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine, though under U.S. sentencing guidelines, he would probably face no more than 15 to 21 months in prison.

All signs point toward him fighting. He came to Congress after being mentioned repeatedly in the Mitchell Report — the damning breakdown of the sport’s steroid problem released in 2007.

In front of a House committee the next year, Clemens said: “Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH.” Before his indictment was handed down Aug. 19, Clemens was offered a plea deal that he turned down, and afterward, he showed no signs of backing down.

“I look forward to challenging the Governments accusations, and hope people will keep an open mind until trial,” Clemens wrote on Twitter after the indictment. “I appreciate all the support I have been getting. I am happy to finally have my day in court.”

His day in court figures to be one of many in the near future for some of baseball’s biggest names — now sullied by steroid-related accusations. All-time home run king Barry Bonds is scheduled to go on trial in March on charges of lying to a federal grand jury when he said he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs.

At the hearing in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Clemens’ former trainer, Brian McNamee, said the pitcher did, in fact, use steroids and HGH. Former teammate Andy Pettitte also told congressional investigators that Clemens told him he had used HGH.

Clemens told Congress that Pettitte “misremembers” the conversation.

All that testimony figures to be rehashed in a trial that could irrevocably tarnish the reputation of one of the most dominant pitchers in history. Over 23 seasons, including two Cy Young award-winning seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Clemens recorded 354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.12 — Hall of Fame numbers that might not land him in the Hall of Fame.

Delivered dailyThe Morning Headlines Newsletter

The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please contact us or see our privacy policy for more information.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com